Student Guide

Why study Physical Education?

Physical Education is the right subject for you if you enjoy:

• learning about the world of Sport and Physical Education • keeping up to date with sporting issues • performing and developing your own practical performances• communicating and explaining your ideas• independent thinking, reflective learning and problem

solving

‘I really enjoy relating the theories we learn to my own practical performances’ Knights Templar School

Is Physical Education for me?

Yes if you enjoy:

• exciting opportunities on a number of different physical activities

• being active and promoting a healthy lifestyle • sport and exercise• learning about how your body and mind respond and adapt to

the demands of exercise• exploring the challenges all sports face in the modern

commercial climate

What will I learn?

You will learn about:

• the diverse nature of sport• the link between physical activity and health• how athletes need to adapt physically and mentally to the

changing sports environment• sporting success and failure• investigating the impact of technology and commercialism on

participation and performance• how to refine and analyse your own performance• How to make decisions about what to do in your own fitness

and training

How is the course structured?

The course consists of four components:

• Component 1 – you will learn about physiological and

biomechanical workings of the body and explore how to

apply this to your physical training

• Component 2 – you will develop knowledge about the link

between health and performance and explore the

contribution that physical activity and sport make to health,

fitness and well-being

• Component 3 - you will develop your practical

performance skills in three different physical activities

• Component 4 - you will complete a Personal Exercise

Programme (PEP) in one of your chosen sports. You will

develop your ability to analyse and evaluate your personal

fitness to improve/optimise performance in physical

activity and sport

How will I be assessed at GCSE Level?

Paper 1

You will tackle multiple-choice, short answer and extended

writing questions on the body systems and physical fitness –

this is the content you study in Component 1

Paper 2

You will tackle multiple-choice, short answer and extended

writing questions on the link between health and performance –

this is the content you study in Component 2

Non-Examined Assessment

This will usually take place in your own school. You will be

assessed in the practical performance of your three chosen

sports and your Personal Exercise Programme (PEP).

This work will also be externally moderated - this is the

content you study in Component 3 and 4.

What can I do next?GCSE Physical Education prepares you for progression to further

study or the next step towards the world of work:

• you will have developed transferable skills, including numeracy,

communication and an understanding of practical performances

• you will have developed a mix of scientific and social knowledge

putting you in an excellent position to access a wide range of

sport and non-sport related courses

• you will have knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare

you for a career in this dynamic employment sector

• you will have skills to take to a wider range of careers from

management, public sector organisations, businesses and

charities

Next Steps!

If you are interested in studying GCSE Physical Education you

should start to find out more about the subject by:

• visiting the Edexcel website

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-

gcses/physical-education-2016.html for more information

about what you will be studying and how you will be

assessed

talking to the Head of PE at your school

• looking at what is happening in the world of sport by

watching the news and relevant TV programmes or visiting

the sport sections of websites such as the BBC